Drinking coffee is good for your health

As far as we can tell, all of America would grind to a halt without coffee. In fact, the entire world might. Finns are the top coffee drinkers, at four cups a day -- not per coffee drinker, per capita. Norwegians are close behind. Then Swiss, Italians, Brazilians and Americans in sixth place, averaging about 1.5 cups per person (though about 3.4 cups per coffee drinker).

If you like coffee and it doesn't give you migraines, jitters, an upset stomach or offbeat heart rhythms, grab a cup without guilt. Here's why:

1. Coffee may ward off Alzheimer's Something in coffee releases a substance called GCSF, which helps sweep beta-amyloid deposits out of your brain -- the plaque buildup seen in Alzheimer's.

2. Coffee may fend off Parkinson's Why isn't clear, but the finding is consistent, and more coffee equals more protection.

3. Coffee fights diabetes As coffee consumption goes up, diabetes risk goes down. More is better here, too: Risk drops about 7 percent with each daily cup.

No time to brew a fresh pot? No worries. Healthwise, instant holds its own because it starts out as brewed coffee and retains some of the healthy substances in brewed. Also, there's a bonus: Instant has two-thirds more fiber. Believe it or not, a 12-ounce cup of instant contains about 3 grams of fiber, versus about 1.8 grams in brewed. And that extra fiber helps your body absorb the other healthy goodies in coffee.

So laugh off the coffee detractors. They know not what they're missing.